Function and prognostic role of CAF-related proteins
| Protein | Role in tumour biology | Disease and references |
|---|---|---|
| FAP | Tumour cell growth, proliferation, ECM remodelling, metastasis formation and angiogenesis37 | DCIS, NSCLC, CRC38–40 |
| PDGF/PDGFRs | Angiogenesis, regulation of interstitial fluid pressure in tumours41 | Pancreas and breast carcinoma, NSCLC42–44 |
| TN-C | Hypoxia-driven angiogenesis, proliferation, migration, escape from immune surveillance8 | CRC, breast cancer, melanoma 8 |
| PDPN | Cancer cell invasion45 | LACC, CRC (good prognosis) breast cancer, oesophagus adenocarcinoma45–48 |
| SPARC | Cell migration, proliferation, matrix cell adhesion and tissue remodelling49 | Pancreatic cancer, NSCLC49 50 |
| Met | Receptor of HGF, it plays a role in the tumour cell invasion and CAF proliferation51 | LACC52 |
| TGF-β/TGFβRs | Tumour growth, proliferation, invasiveness, angiogenesis, immunesuppression.53 54 | CRC and breast cancer55 56 |
CAF, cancer associated fibroblast; CRC, colorectal carcinoma; DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ; ECM, extracellular matrix; FAP, fibroblast activation protein; HGF, hepatocyte growth factor; LACC, lung adenocarcinoma; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; PDGF, platelet-derived growth factor; PDGFR, platelet-derived growth factor receptor; PDPN, podoplanin; TGF-β, transforming growth factor-β; TN-C, tenascin-C; SPARC, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine; Met, hepatocyte-derived growth factor receptor.